Building construction unit



1955 D. M. JOHNSON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION UNIT Filed Sept. 21 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Donald M. Johnson INVENTOR.

1955 D. M. JOHNSON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION UNIT 2 Sheets-Shee Filed Sept. 21. 1950 Dona/a M. Johnson IN V EN TOR.

BY QM United States Patent flice 2,699,128 Patented Jan. 11, 1955 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION UNIT Donald M. Johnson, Jefferson City, Mo. Application September 21, 1950, Serial No. 185,988

1 Claim. (Cl. 108-1) This invention relates to the class of building blocks and the like, and more particularly to a novel interlocking building construction assembly.

An object of this invention is to provide building blocks, toy or otherwise, which are provided with an interlocking system permitting ease of assembly thereof, but which provides effectual hold against displacement of the various elements of the invention from each other thus forming an integrated assembly.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for interlocking the various courses of units used in the invention with the course above and below permitting roof and wall units to become integrated and secured to each other in a positive manner.

An important feature of the invention resides in the snap-like interlock used in the invention which permits each block to become attached to the section already built by placing it at a desired position and, with slight pressure, causing the legs of the block to spring out and snap over projecting portions on other of these blocks. The snap interlock used will hold the block in place until proper lateral pressure is applied for its removal. While slide action between the various blocks in the various courses is minimized by the spring tension developed in positioning each unit in its proper place, the design does permit of change, correction or alteration through such movement.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a building construction unit that is strong, durable, highly efiicient in operation, simple in construction and manufacture, capable of being readily used in the production of full scale buildings or in childrens toys, and which units may be readily and inexpensively manufactured of various materials.

These, together with the various ancillary objects of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this building construction unit, preferred embodiments of which have been included in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a building using building construction units comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of one of the principal units used in the present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of another building unit used in the assembly;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a corner block used in the present invention;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the roof tile unit comprising an important element of the invention; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the units used in constructing a roof.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates a portion of a building using the building construction units comprising the present invention.

In the building 10 various construction units are used, the basic of these units including the runner block 12 which consists of legs 14 and 16 having triangular-like flanges l8 and 20 integrally formed therewith which are adapted to become engaged within the triangular- 2 shaped recesses 22 and 24 formed by the dovetail portion 26 of the central connecting member connecting the legs 14 and 16.

Referring now to Figure 4, it will be seen that herein is disclosed the corner block 28 which is provided with a dovetailed portion 30 having recesses 32 and suitable leg portions 34. These corner blocks are provided in order to form fully enclosed corners and the staggered courses of the walls at a right angle interlock and function both right and left handed.

As illustrated in Figure 3 there is shown a trapezoidal shaped block 36 which is provided with a slanted face 38 which is adapted to be installed at the corner or end of the wall of the building in order to provide a gable above the roof line permitting no roof overhang. Block 36 also serves as a filler under a roof extending beyond the corner of the structure. The roof tiles 40 are funished in two lengths, along the interlocking face, permitting staggered courses for strength and alignment. The roof tiles 44) include leg portions 42 and 44 which have secured thereto preferably triangular-shaped flanges 46 and 48, respectively, for engagement within the recesses 50 and 52 formed by the dovetailed portions 54. The central connecting portion 56 is provided with simulated shingle siding 58 for simulating shingles or roof tiles to provide a more ornamental appearance for the building using these elements.

For capping the roof there is provided an anticlinal roofing tile 60 which has a central connecting portion that is triangular in shape as indicated at 62 and having simulated roof tile configuration as indicated at 64 which has its flanged legs 66 and 68 in engagement within the recesses 50 and 52 of adjacent converging units 40 so as to lock them together.

Referring now to Figure 5 in particular, it will be seen that herein is shown schematically, in dotted lines, the manner in which one of the units is secured on the next below. By exercising slight pressure on the legs 14 and 16 of the unit they may be pulled apart until one of the flanges may fit over the dovetailed portion 26 into the corresponding recess in the unit next below the other flange having heretofore been placed in position. Thus, due to the flexibility of the resilient material from which the building units have been formed, the relatively strong snap interlock has been provided which in a completed structure shall give it unity and strength comparable to a single piece.

The other units including the roofing tile 40 employ the same principle for securing the next course on the course therebelow.

Since from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of these building construction units are readily apparent, further description is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiments shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be readily resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A building structure comprising spaced, opposed walls including upper courses of blocks comprising dovetails on their upper portions, and a roof mounted on the walls, said roof comprising inclined tiles intersecting the walls and including opposed, depending flanged legs interlocked with the dovetails for mounting the tiles on the walls in vertically spaced relation thereto, said tiles further including horizontal dovetails on their upper ends paralleling said walls, and anticlinal tiles connecting the inclined tiles for capping the roof, said anticlinal tiles including flanged, depending legs interlocked with the outer walls of the second-named dovetails for mounting said anticlinal tiles on the first-named tiles in vertically spaced relation thereto.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS De La Sauce Jan. 24, 1888 Hille June 11, 1895 May Dec. 21, 1897 Thomsen June 30, 1903 Hardoncourt July 22, 1913 Anft. Jan. 20, 1914 4 Tompkins Aug. 28, 1934 Bumpas May 30, 1939 Kubach Sept. 12, 1939 Morgan June 25, 1940 Finch Aug. 24, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland July 1, 1921 Austria June 10, 1924 

